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Parents always ask how they can help their child be successful in French Immersion when they don't speak the language. Here are some helpful suggestions:
Canadian Parents for French
Canadian Parents for French
Consider joining Canadian Parents for French, a national network of parents, volunteers, and advocates dedicated to the promotion and creation of French-second-language learning opportunities for young Canadians. The Alberta chapter offers lots of opportunities for families. They host local movie nights, Family camping weekends, online French classes for parents, and even online tutoring opportuities for students. It is free to join and lots of fun to participate! Please visit their website for more details.
Encourage Oral Language
Encourage Oral Language
Supporting oral language development at home is essential for a child's communication and literacy skills. Parents can encourage this by engaging in daily conversations, actively listening, asking open-ended questions to spark thoughtful responses. Reading aloud together exposes children to new vocabulary and language patterns, while storytelling fosters imagination and narrative skills. Singing songs, reciting rhymes, and playing word games make language learning fun and interactive. Modeling clear speech and expanding on your child’s sentences helps enrich their language abilities. Creating a language-rich environment at home builds confidence and sets a strong foundation for future learning.
Build background information
Build background information
What kids already know about a subject is an important foundation to build upon. Having conversations at home about what the class will be learning can help your child activate his/her prior knowledge. This makes in easier to make connections when learning new information. Here are some ideas to help kids build background information:
Read Widely Together: Explore books, magazines, and articles on various topics to introduce new ideas and concepts.
Encourage Curiosity: Answer questions thoughtfully and research topics together to deepen understanding.
Connect Learning to Real Life: Relate academic concepts to everyday activities, like cooking (math and science) or gardening (biology).
Engage in Conversations: Discuss current events, family history, or hobbies to broaden their knowledge.
Encourage a Growth Mindset
Encourage a Growth Mindset
“In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” ( Dweck, 2015)
Encouraging a growth mindet will help your child understand that mistakes are learning experiences and that hard work and resilience will help them grow!
The FSL Homework Toolbox
The FSL Homework Toolbox
The FSL homework toolbox has beed developed by Rainbow schools in Ontario. The website features comprehensive strategies to support students with reading comprehension, writing and math. It includes things like:
To see all of their tools and strategies, please visit the website.
Learning French with Music and Film
Learning French with Music and Film
French songs and movies offer valuable and engaging opportunities for language acquisition by providing authentic exposure to the language. They significantly improve listening skills through exposure to natural rhythm, intonation, pronunciation, and various accents, aiding in the development of a better ear for the language. Furthermore, they introduce new vocabulary, everyday expressions, idioms, and slang within memorable contexts. For speaking skills, singing along to songs or repeating movie lines allows for pronunciation and fluency practice, boosting confidence in speaking. Beyond these core skills, songs and movies subtly reinforce grammar structures and sentence patterns through repeated exposure and provide insights into French culture, customs, and society. To maximize their effectiveness, learners should begin with simpler content, utilize French subtitles, study lyrics and transcripts, practice by singing along and repeating lines, and focus on overall comprehension rather than perfect understanding. Ultimately, French songs and movies serve as an enjoyable and effective supplement to language learning, enhancing listening, speaking, and cultural understanding.
Download this PDF to discover ways to experience French culture at home through movies, music, and songs
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